Each week on The Cigar Authority you hear us discuss flavors from our cigars, but one of the top questions asked other than, “are you on drugs,” is how the hell do you taste those flavors. Well those who asked, you are not alone as throughout my blogging career many have stopped me to ask this same question, Cigar Tasting how is it done? Visual & Touch Preparation Taste is just a small part of […]
There are several methods you can use to light your cigar but a few things are key to guaranteeing a good flavor and an even burn. All premium hand made cigars should be cut prior to lighting. There are a couple of videos floating around on line that suggest that the “real way” is to light first and cut second but I ask you…What if it doesn’t draw? All Premium cigars are hand made but that […]
A couple of weeks ago on The Cigar Authority Podcast, Mr. Jonathan explained lighter care. Since that show the amount of emails coming in requesting that information in an article/editorial format has been overwhelming. As a result, Mr. Jonathan has decided to give it to you as only he can… Lighters G.H.O.S.T. Gas Hang Oxygen Spark Timing GAS is the most common problem in three ways. The first is that it’s not turned up enough or […]
Recently we received a question via the “Contact Us” page, of The Cigar Authority, regarding whether or not cutting a cigar using a straight cut would change the amount of time it takes to smoke that cigar vs using a bullet punch. In the 20 years that I have been switching back and forth from cut to cut I never thought to pay attention so I decided to do the experiment and find out if […]
They rate the cigars but has anyone ever rated them? Cigar Magazines… How They Stack-Up Against Each Other An editorial by David Garofalo Some might say “print is dead,” meaning that nobody reads magazines and newspapers anymore but it doesn’t seem to be that way in the cigar world. At least 5 major publications continue to survive in this teeny-tiny industry called premium cigars. I’ve been in this industry long enough to remember when there […]
Brick and Mortar Cigar Retailers Vs. The On-Line Discounters THE GREAT DEBATE Another editorial by David Garofalo I just saw the numbers from Black Friday in retail, down for yet another year. Small Business Saturday, down again for another straight year… and finally, Cyber Monday up however again for another record-breaking day and year. So it got me thinking… For the past decade this has been a hot debate throughout the entire retail world, store […]
“Geek Stick”… A Cigar for Saving, Giving, Trading, Selling or Smoking Another editorial by David Garofalo A “Geek Stick” is a cigar that is limited in production for one reason or another, which creates demand for a few different reasons. I’ve always been intrigued by the Geek Stick, its psychology and allure… so let’s dig in. Limited Production cigars began (as I recall) during the cigar boom of the 1990’s by Arturo Fuente Cigars and […]
A Reflection of the Past 30 Years in the Cigar Business Another Editorial by David Garofalo For me, it is so hard to believe it’s been 30 years. Today, I reflect on how it happened for me and wonder where the time has gone? The first Two Guys Smoke Shop opened in 1985 in Somerville Massachusetts. I opened it with my life-long buddy Paul Antonelli who I still consider a brother. He now lives in […]
Where’s The Beef? A Mr. Jonathan Editorial In a world dominated by number ratings that have begun to mean little to nothing to the end-user, why not change it up? From the master blender down to the rep, cigars are described as though they belong on the menu of a five-star restaurant on some exclusive island off the coast of “It Doesn’t Matter.” They get sexier and sexier from the press release to the final […]
Are We Seeing the Beginning of the End of Buying Cigars On-Line? FedEx Corporation is an American global courier delivery service headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. In FedEx’s early days, Federal Express, (as it was called then) their owner and founder Fred Smith took the company’s last $5,000 to a Las Vegas blackjack table, after they were denied a business loan and won $27,000. In his first 26 months in business Smith racked up $29 million […]